Subsidy removal: Decision was collective, says Akpabio

Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has said governments at all levels were part of the decision to remove the fuel subsidy.

He hailed the Organised Labour for calling off the nationwide strike to protest the decision, which raised petrol price to about N200 per litre.

Akpabio spoke with reporters yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

He said people should stop blaming whoever took the decision, saying if the decision had been accepted by the people someone would have taken credit for it.

Akpabio, however, declined to say whether or not the governors sold the idea to the Federal Government as it is being speculated.

The governor insisted that it was a collective decision, including the ministers’.

“The true position is what was said by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that it was the government’s decision.

“It was a government decision and we must stop this act of apportioning blame because for such a laudable idea, if it wasn’t that the public reacted the way they did, somebody would have wanted to lay claim and say ‘I did suggest it,’ am I right?

“It was because of the negative reaction of the people that is why people are now running away from taking the credit .

“At least, nobody wants to take the blame.

“For me, you have to be objective and go beyond apportioning blame and look at the importance of the idea.

“If you sit down and look at the merit of that decision then you will know that somebody should be very proud to say ‘ I suggested it first’, but nobody wants to stick out his neck to say ‘I suggested it’ because of your reaction.

“I want to align myself with the submission of the minister that it was the government’s decision, it is left to you now to decide who is in the government.”